EndeavourOS 'Gemini' released with KDE Plasma 6, Qt 6, and updated Calamares installer

EndeavourOS, an Arch-based Linux distribution, has unveiled its latest version, Gemini, adopting KDE Plasma 6 and Qt 6. The release, named after the bridging NASA program between the Mercury and Apollo missions, offers KDE Plasma 6 as its primary desktop environment, with Wayland as the default display server protocol. Users, however, can opt for X11 through the Simple Desktop Display Manager (SDDM).

In terms of technical specifications, Gemini is powered by Linux Kernel 6.8 and includes Firefox 125, Mesa 24.0.5, X.Org Server 21.1.13, and Nvidia 550.76. The distribution has also transitioned from NVIDIA DKMS to NVIDIA packages, addressing issues caused by the former. The inclusion of the latest Calamares graphical installer aims to streamline the installation process.

Notably, Gemini will not support ARM installations, a first for EndeavourOS releases. The distribution has reintroduced GParted in the Live environment, responding to user feedback about missing options in the KDE Partition Manager.

The Gemini update also brings changes to the Welcome updater and eos-bash-shared, which will now use GNOME Terminal as the default when GNOME is selected, replacing xterm.